All I Really Need to Know, I Learned on the Internetor Maybe Not? http://electronicdesign.com/print/blogs/all-i-really-need-know-i-learned-i...

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Electronic Design
Kevin Ilcisin
Tue, 2014-10-14 15:59

In the mid-1980s, my parents bought a book by Robert Fulghum titled All I Really Need to Know I Learned in
Kindergarten That was after it had gone viral (became a bestseller) by making it to the top of Reddit (The New
York Times best-seller list) by generating millions of views (copies sold). After finishing that book, my parents
asked me to justify the extra 21 years of post-kindergarten schooling I had just completed. I dont think I gave
them a satisfactory answer, which has kept me thinking about the value of an education ever since.

If written today, Fulghums book could be titled All I Really Need to Know is on Wikipedia or Searchable
through Google. But even though vast amounts of information are now instantly available, is that really enough
to prepare one for lifes journey, particularly if that journey involves engineering? Students (and hiring
managers) often ask, What is important in an engineering education: skills or domain knowledge, experience
or critical thinking abilities, and what does a lifetime of learning mean?

Engineers as Problem Solvers

Before you can address the question of what elements of an engineering education are most important, you first
need to speak about the value engineers bring to organizations. Many organizations take a narrow view when
defining the engineering profession, focusing primarily on specialized technical areas usually aligned with R&D
projects.

Engineers can and do impact organizations more broadly and in different capacities than is suggested by such a
definition. Fundamentally, engineers are problem solvers. This is what makes engineering a great profession to
enter and why it can provide a lifetime of career satisfaction. Despite what you may read about off-shoring,
compensation issues, or long hours, all of which are part of todays reality, the world will likely have more
problems to solve than resources and people to solve them. Engineers with the right training and an innovative
mindset can always find a place on an impactful problem-solving team.

Develop a Breadth of World-Class Skills

When it comes time to hire new engineers into our team, the first thing I look for is a breadth of learning and
good problem-solving skills. While depth of knowledge in a particular domain can help an engineer in a
particular role or project, engineers benefit from being able to work across domains. As those of us with years
of experience in technology know, technology inflections rapidly shift what is considered highly valued
experience.

My conviction about the importance of educational breadth stems in part from my experiences. Ive been
fortunate to have had broad exposure to a number of different markets and industries. This gave me the
opportunity to see innovation and problem-solving in companies ranging from a three-person startup to

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Fortune 200 enterprises.

When armed with a broad base of skills, an engineer can quickly move to new projects and industries or pursue
new challenges. It is easier for us in industry to teach specialized domain knowledge to skilled engineers as
opposed to trying to teach domain experts how to analyze problems, apply logic, or communicate with others
once on the job.

With this perspective, it becomes easier to have a discussion on the key elements of an engineering education.
Many people ask me What discipline should I study? or Which software language should I master? These
choices matter and should be aligned with ones interests. My answer, however, emphasizes developing
world-class skills. This is especially true in terms of problem-solving, which means a strong foundation in key
problem-solving disciplinesmath, the physical sciences, engineering basics, and communication. If you
become known as exceptional in these skills, you will find a place in most organizations in various roles. Youll
also likely enjoy what you are doing every day and have a positive impact on your surrounding environment.

As part of developing a breadth of skills, I cant emphasize enough how important it is for students to gain
hands-on experience that allows them to apply book knowledge by solving real problems. A big part of
engineering life is the ability to communicate effectively and work in teams to solve large issues. Thats why it is
so important for those of us in industry to partner with educational institutions to provide greater opportunities
for students to work on solving real-world problems.

Summing It All Up

Reflecting on my passion for education and my personal work experiences helps me frame what I believe are
critical criteria in a 21st-century engineering education:

Problem-solving skills

A hands-on project orientation beginning in the first year

A systems-engineering perspective that helps students understand real-world constraints such as cost or
manufacturing capability

Integration across courses and across disciplines

Management of teams and projects, and learning how to innovate

Design-at-a-distance projects, meaning how to work with teams across the U.S. or around the world

The ability to quickly expand into non-traditional disciplines (biology, chemistry, etc.)

Adaptability to change and instilling a lifelong passion for learning. Problem-solving skills!

Problem-solving skills (Did I mention this one?)

Ill add one more point that, although true historically, gains in importance as the educational process evolves.
With new approaches such as Massively Open On-Line Courses (MOOCs) and a growing emphasis on a
self-directed lifetime of learning while in the job environment, its critical to be able to validate personal career
and learning decisions. One way to balance the remote and self-directed is to identify a mentor; someone who is
willing to answer questions and provide unvarnished advice. Ive had multiple mentors throughout my career
and they have invariably saved me from making wrong turns I would have otherwise regretted.

We used to think that the human brain loses the ability to form new synapses as we age, but we now know thats

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not true. Instead, it turns out that only thing holding us back is our attitude. If you want career satisfaction as an
engineer, breadth of skills and a passion for lifelong learning are the approaches that will help ensure you
achieve it. Also, having a mentorand eventually becoming one yourselfwill greatly facilitate achieving these
objectives and challenge you to push your limits.

So, whether you are a first-year engineering student or a 30-year veteran, think about what you can do this week
to learn something new. Then, go solve a problem in some new innovative way.

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